“My mother claimed I painted a mural in the hallway of our house in Coney Island when I was five or six,” Leslie says. “I have no recollection of this apparent masterpiece, and she never thought to take any photos. Given that beginning, though, I suppose it’s no surprise I became a painter.”

Leslie spent 18 years as a dress patternmaker in NYC’s fashion industry, frequently designing and sewing her own clothes. Then she started painting in pastels, falling in love the moment she put stick to paper. “I remember walking home from my first pastel class; my feet barely touched the pavement. I was lit up!”

After leaving NY and traveling for several years, Leslie settled in the Denver, Colorado area. She studied with award-winning watercolorist Chuck Danford for four years. Leslie's work has been juried into the Pastel Society of America’s annual competition and other shows and festivals. When not at her easel, you can find her merrily traipsing through thrift stores, loudly out-singing contestants on The Voice, and enjoying the endless beauty of Colorado.